


Finding the Right Path

by Warden_Champion_Inquisitor



Category: Naruto
Genre: Difficult Decisions, Disapproving Family, F/M, Fluff, Good Friends, Hurt/Comfort, Kiba is a giant puppy, Kibas family is literally so badass, Naruto is literally so hyper, Plans For The Future, Shikamaru is so lazy, Skaura has a big mouth, chicken fights, helping the Inuzuka's, readers family are assholes, university stress, why must Sakura be this way
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-01
Updated: 2017-03-08
Packaged: 2018-09-27 14:33:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10025825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Warden_Champion_Inquisitor/pseuds/Warden_Champion_Inquisitor
Summary: (Y/N) is having a hard time finding the courage to tell her family what she really wants in life. They have always wanted something different from her and she was complacent until she met Kiba. After that, it all changed.





	1. Gaining the Courage

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! So I'm not too sure how many chapters this is gonna be yet but I'm on a pretty good roll right now. I'm already halfway done writing chapter three and judging by that there will probably be at least two or more chapters after that!! Thanks again for reading! Please leave kudos and comment if you liked it or not!!

Walking through the forest you sighed thinking about what your parents would say when you told them your decision. You wanted, no needed, to go to university. It wasn’t the usual path a person from the Hidden Leaf Village to take, but the path your parents wanted you to take wasn’t either. Their plans had been to shape you into the perfect shop keep as that was what you had been born into. Your parents had refused to send you to the academy like you had wanted and told you that you were going to become the future shop keep of their store. Of course, being only seven when they told you this, you couldn’t really do anything about it. This all changed when you met Kiba Inu. He was the first kid not to make fun of you because you weren’t training to be a shinobi. Quickly you became best friends. He was the one who had convinced you to choose your own path in life and the one you chose only became available because you were friends with Kiba.

 

It all started one day when you were at Kiba’s house. His mom had burst through the door calling for his sister Hana. It had turned out that her ninken, Kuromaru, had been severely injured in battle. Kiba had run to town shortly before his mother arrived so you were the only person there to help Hana with Kuromaru. It surprised both Inu’s that you could stand the sight of blood and that you were so ready and willing to help. It was then, and only then when you realized what you wanted to so with your life. As a child, you wanted to become a shinobi, but now you were much too old to start training as one so you decided that you wanted to become a veterinarian.

 

Ever since then you had made it clear to the Inu family that you wanted to help with the injured animals more often. Whenever you got a chance you would make your way over to Kiba’s place to watch Hana perform various surgeries, and sometimes you even got to scrub in and help. Eventually, it was almost as if you lived at the Inu’s place seeing how many times you stayed there overnight. Most of the villagers, your parents among them, thought that you and Kiba were a couple which wasn’t a bad thing in your eyes. At least it kept your parent’s questions at bay. Either way, Kiba was your best friend so he went along with it. In public, you were a couple, in private, you were best friends. It wasn’t as if you didn’t wasn’t more than that from him, but you just assumed that this was all he wanted from you so you didn’t push it any farther than that.

 

As time went on, you became one of the Inu family what with you spending all your time there. It was Hana and Kiba who were the one to suggest university to you. Because you weren’t actually part of the Inu clan, you couldn’t just apprentice under a medical ninja veterinarian like Hana did. That was only the privilege of an Inu clan member. They both helped you pick and apply and – to your surprise – pay for your university with the condition that once you finished you would come back and work for the Inu family, which you happily agreed to.

 

The sound of yelling pulled your thoughts back to the present as you turned to see Akamaru running towards you.

 

“Hey, Akamaru!” You said and hugged the ninken. Shortly after you heard the yelling get closed and smiled when you saw who it was. Kiba stopped in front of you, resting his hands on this knees panting. “Had a good run?” You asked him and laughed.

 

“Well, you could’ve at least waited for me Akamaru.” He said to the dog who replied with a happy bark. “So, have you told your parents yet (Y/N)?” He asked you, laying himself on the ground. Following suit, you replied quietly,

 

“No, not yet.” Kiba propped his head up on his hand and looked at you.

 

“Why not? What’s the worst they can do?” He asked with a scowl on his face. That always happened when he talked about your parents. “Kick you out of the house? Demand you done leave?” He returned to laying on his back. “You’re eighteen now, an adult, they can’t keep you there. If they kick you out, you know you have a place with us (Y/N).” You closed your eyes. What he said was true, it wasn’t as if you was a little kid anymore with no opinion on how your future should go.  

 

“You’re right Kiba.” You said and sighed. “But why do I feel so nervous about it?”

 

“You’re nervous because you don’t want to disappoint your parents,” Kiba stated simply which hit the nail on the head. It wasn’t as if you got much approval from them as it is, but you knew that when you dropped this bomb, there would be no going back to the way things were before. “And even if you do disappoint them, you should know that you have another family that will never be disappointed in you.” Hearing this brought a wide smile to your face and the courage to get up and do what needed to be done.

 

“Okay, I’m going to do it!” You announced. Kiba looked up at you and smiled when he saw the determination in your eyes. “Thanks, Kiba!” Was all he heard as she dashed off towards the Village. He chuckled quietly and closed his eyes, hoping that her parents wouldn’t be too harsh on her. He always had a soft spot for the (H/C) haired girl. In fact, he was happy to pretend to be her boyfriend in public and wished that it could be in private as well. But, he didn’t want to ruin the friendship they had now so he didn’t push it any farther than it needed to be. Kiba knew that (Y/N) would be back here no matter how her parents reacted so he was content to wait for her.

 

Reaching the village, you slowed down to a walk. On the entire way back to the village you were reciting what you wanted to say to your parents in your head over and over, trying to memorize it so you wouldn’t lose your nerve and back out. “Okay (Y/N),” you whispered to yourself, “It’s all going to be fine, no matter what happens.” Kiba’s words echoed through your mind as you reached your house. Slowly walking up the stairs, you opened the front door to find your mom in the kitchen and you father sitting at the table. _Perfect_ , you thought, _hopefully, this all goes well._

 

“Hello (Y/N).” Your mother greeted not looking up from her cooking.

 

“Hi, mom.” You replied sitting across the table from your dad.

 

“Was Kiba busy today?” Your dad asked you. “You never really come home anymore.” He looked up at you with stern eyes. _Oh great and mighty Hokage, he’s going to lecture me about this now,_ you thought with dread. This was not going to be good.

 

“Yeah about that,” You said about to start your speech. “I’m-“ Your father's voice cut you off.

 

“(Y/N) (M/N) (L/N) if you say you’re pregnant I swear to the first Hokage,” Your eyes widened and you spluttered.

 

“Dad!” You scoffed in shock, “I’m not pregnant!” Instant relief flooded into both your parent’s eyes.

 

“Thank the Hokage.” You heard your mother mutter.

 

“Okay well, then what were you going to tell us?” Your dad asked intently. _Well, this shouldn’t be so bad seeing as they thought I was pregnant,_ you thought. _Well, here goes nothing._

“Mom, Dad,” You took a deep breath, “I’m going to university.”


	2. Mrs. Inu to the Rescue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Telling your parents about your ambitions didn't turn out as well as you thought it would. You were in big trouble but luckly Kiba's mom came just in time.

Your parents were silent at you continued. “I’ve been accepted into a university already and I will be going for veterinary medicine. I’ll be moving to the city in a month.” Just as you were about to talk about why you wanted to be a vet, your father interrupted you.

 

“You’re doing what?” He said in a slow low tone. You had to stand up to him.

 

“I’m going to university.” You said gritting your teeth together looking determined. Your father took one look at you and exploded.

 

“you're not going to university you little brat! You are going to stay here and take over the shop just like we’ve always planned. I knew I let you goof off too long with those Inu mutts.” He yelled at you, his face turning bright red.

 

“How can you be angrier about me wanting to go to university than me being pregnant??!!” You yelled at him. “At least I want to do something with my life.”

 

“At least if you were pregnant you would have to stay here and tend to the shop! Now like I said earlier, you WILL be staying here and tending to the shop just like we’ve planned!”

 

“We’ve?? Don’t you mean YOU?!” You screamed. “I’ve never had a say in anything! It's always been ‘(Y/N) this is what you’re doing with your life and that’s that’. And don’t you dare call the Inu’s mutts! They were the ones who helped me find my passion in life!”

 

“No,” Your father said darkly, “They’re the ones who ruined you.” You physically flinched as if you had gotten slapped. Even your mother gasped at this, but of course, she would never get involved in any argument. This was enough.

 

“I’m going no matter what you say!” You spat and headed for the door.

 

“(Y/N), If you leave this house you are no longer a member of this family.” You stopped in your tracks. _You have another family that will never be disappointed in you._ Kiba’s words echoed in your mind. Turning around you looked your father in the eye.

 

“I haven’t been a part of this family in years.” In a flash your father was in front of you, his hand coming down towards your face. You closed your eyes waiting for the impact, but none came. Opening your eyes you saw none other than Kiba’s mom standing in front of you holding your father's arm back.

 

“If you lay one hand on her you will regret it.” She snarled as Kuromaru stalked up from behind her and stood in front of you. “(Y/N) is going to university in one month. We are paying her tuition as she’s agreed to come and work for us once she’s finished. She is a grown woman who can make her own decisions which you as her parents should respect.” Kiba’s mom continued. “Now, because I feel like (Y/N) may be harmed if she lives here, she will be coming to live with us for the duration of the month before she goes to university.” She still hadn’t let go of your father’s hand when she turned to you, “(Y/N) pack your things. Kuromaru will come with you to make sure there’s no more trouble. You can come whenever your ready hun.” You quickly ran to your room and gathered what little clothes that weren’t already at Kiba’s house. Kneeling in front of Kuromaru you gave him a tight hug.

 

“You guys came just in time. Thank you.” He licked your face as you let go of him and made your way back to where there was a commotion. You stopped a few feet away so they couldn’t see you.

 

“You are not taking my daughter away from me!” You dad yelled at Kiba’s mom. “She is going to take over this shop no matter what!” You were tired of this.

 

“Kuromaru, please tell Mrs. Inu that I left.” You snuck out the back door and dropped your stuff off at Kiba’s place before making your way back to where you had left Kiba earlier today.

 

Reaching the glade, you stopped and looked to see Kiba sleeping soundly using Akamaru as a pillow. You sighed. How could they want you in their family? you were just making so much trouble for them.

 

“(Y/N), why are you hiding over there?” Kiba said not opening his eyes. “Come over here.” You slowly walked to him and then laid down beside him. “So what did they say?”

 

“Well, they did take it too well.” You whispered feeling sad. “My dad said that if I walked out the door, which I did, that I wouldn’t be part of the family anymore to which I said that I haven’t been a part of the family for a long time.” You paused. You knew the next part would make Kiba mad. “Then he tried to slap me.” In an instant, Kiba sat up and growled which Akamaru echoed.

 

“He did what?!” Kiba’s canines extended as he jumped up. “I’m gonna kill him.” You stood up quickly and tried to calm him down.

 

“Kiba, calm down.” You pleaded to no avail.

 

“He’s taken it to far this time.” Kiba was about to leave when you jumped in front of him and hugged him.

 

“Please just stay here with me Kiba. Your mom came just in time to stop him. She handling it. I need you right now.” You begged, tightening your grip on him. He was your rock, and you definitely needed someone who was strong to help keep you afloat. He looked down at you in surprise as you pressed your face against his soft jacket.

 

“(Y/N).” He whispered, snapping out of his rage. “I’m so sorry.” He wrapped his arms around you and placed a gentle kiss on the top of your head. Even though you were sad, you had already trained yourself not to cry at the hands of your parents, it just wasn’t worth it.

 

“It’s okay Kiba.” You murmured into his chest. “I’ll be living with you guys now, well at least until I go off to university.”

 

“Really?” Kiba said excitedly. “That’s awesome!” His enthusiasm brought a smile to your face. Kiba could make anything better.

 

“Yeah, it will be.” You replied pulling away from the embrace.

 

“Come on Akamaru!” Kiba called to his dog. “Let's head back home.” Akamaru happily obeyed his master and followed you back. “Hey (Y/N),” Kiba inquired.

 

“Yeah Kiba?”

 

“Well, since your parents know why you’re spending so much time as my place does that mean we hav-“ he caught himself before you could notice, “can stop pretending to be a couple in public?” You bit your lip. This would be the perfect time to tell him how you really felt about him, but would he return those feelings. You couldn’t be sure so you left it alone.

 

“Uh, yeah I guess so.” You replied softly. It would be so easy to say ‘if you want too’ but you didn’t. You had already lost your parents, you didn’t want to lose him too.

 

“O-okay,” Kiba replied and Akamaru whined. Obliviously to the reason why he was whining, you turned to examine him.

 

“Are you okay Akamaru?” You questioned. He just licked your face and trotted off. Getting up you fell back into step with Kiba. “Well, that was weird.” You stated.

 

“Yeah,” Was all Kiba said.

 

“Are you okay Kiba?” You asked concerned. Not wanting you to figure out why he was so down he immediately tried to sound happy.

 

“Yeah I’m totally fine (Y/N)!” He exclaimed happily. “At least now I’ll get to see you every day!”

 

“Well, at least when you’re not out on missions.” You added, contented by the change in his demeanor. He was probably just sad about the whole situation with your parents.

 

“Yeah, I haven’t really had many lately.” He observed. “Probably cuz it’s been so peaceful lately, not that I’m complaining.”

 

“It’s a nice change that’s for sure!” You replied. “I remember those days when you’d be gone for weeks on end. Those times really sucked.”

 

“Yeah, I’m glad that I get spend a ton of time with you before you go off to university!” Kiba exclaimed happily and grabbed your hand. “Come on! Let’s get back home so we can unpack your things and get you settled in!” Kiba started to run with you in tow.

 

“Kiba slow down!” You laughed. “Your gonna be dragging me soon!” In one swift move, Kiba threw you onto his back piggyback style. Your and Kiba’s laughter could be heard echoing throughout the forest as you made your way back to the Inu’s place.


	3. Chicken Fights and Fun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally being free from the constraints of your parents, you decide to spend the day with your friends. All was going well unitl an unexpected guest showed up.

It had been a few days since you moved into the Inu’s house and you were loving it already. You had already been able to help with the birth of a new Ninken litter and assisted with a simple surgery. Living with them was so different from your usual lifestyle, but even so, you loved it! At home, you would rarely eat meals around the table as a family let alone do things as a family, but at the Inu’s every meal would be shared as a family and they even had a family movie night twice a week and of course you were included in all of it. This was probably the happiest you had ever been in your entire life. You shared a room with Hana for now but they promised you your own room and already asked you what colors you wanted it. It was so overwhelming at first that you had almost started to cry.

 

Now, Kiba had surprised you by taking you to the lake where all of your other friends were already waiting for you.

 

“Kiba what is this?” You turned to him and asked.

 

“Everyone wants to spend lots of time with you before you go off to university! I can't hog you all the time.” He said with a huge smile. “Now I’ll race you down the dock!” He said and took off.

 

“Hey, no fair!!” You yelled running after him, catching up only because he had slowed down for you. You both launched off the dock at the same time, Kiba doing a cannon ball while you dove in. Surfacing, you looked up just in time to see Akamaru jumping in above you. You laughed as he splashed everyone in a ten-foot radius. Looking around you saw all the people who came to hang out with you. There was Naruto, Sakura, Ino, Shikamaru, Chouji, Lee, Hinata, Shino, Temari and TenTen. All of these people were here to hang out with you, to congratulate you on going to university.

 

“Hey (Y/N)!!” You heard Naruto yell. “Good job standing up to your parents! You gonna be such a great vet!”

 

“Thanks, Naruto!!” You said happily, smiling widely. Naruto’s smile was always so contagious.

 

“Yeah, congrats (Y/N)!” Sakura said. “You’re so brave for doing something like that!”

 

“I can’t believe you’re actually going to university!” Ino said excitedly. “You gotta tell me what it’s like when you get there!”

 

“Yes, Congratulations (Y/N), you are going to do awesome in university! You have so much youthfulness!” Lee chirped in.

 

“Yeah, it’ll be such a drag when you’re gone though,” Shikamaru said lazily.

 

“Yeah who am I gonna have eating contests with when you go?” Chouji added.

 

“We’re all gonna really miss you (Y/N),” Hinata said softly.

 

“You guys,” You said tearing up. This was one of the first times you realized that you had amazing friends who loved you. “You’re the greatest friends anyone could ask for.” You laughed wiping away a tear.

 

“BELIEVE IT!” Naruto yelled which mad everyone burst out in laughter.

 

Eventually, you had split into girls and guys and were just talking about random things.

 

“So,” Hinata said, “are you and Kiba still an item?”

 

“Well, the thing is, we were actually pretending.” You confessed. “That's why we’d never kissed or anything.

 

“YOU WERE PRETENDING?!” Sakura yelled.

 

“Shhh, everyone will hear you.” TenTen scolded.

 

“Sorry.” Sakura apologized sheepishly.

 

“It’s okay,” you laughed. “Yeah, it was pretty much to keep my parents from wondering why I was spending so much time at his house. But now that they know we decided to quit pretending.”

 

“I don’t think you were pretending, were you (Y/N)?” Ino asked.

 

“What? I-I-“ You tried to explain, face flushed.

 

“You don’t have to be embarrassed (Y/N),” Hinata spoke softly.

 

“Yeah (Y/N),” Temari chimed in. “It’s really cute.”

 

“I don’t see why you don’t just ask him out already,” Sakura added, “I mean, it’s clear that he’s in love with you.” You spluttered and almost choked on the water you were swimming in.

 

“He does not!” You argued. “Even if he did, I’ll be leaving in a few more weeks and I’d be gone for so long that it wouldn’t work out anyways.” There was no way you were going to jeopardize your friendship with Kiba.

 

“Fine fine,” Sakura said, “Have it your way, but I guarantee that he will confess his love for you sometime soon.” You rolled your eyes and noticed that the guys were coming toward you.

 

“The guys are coming this way so stop talking about it.” You hissed and the girls laughed.

 

“Hey!” Naruto yelled. “So while you girls were talking about girly things we noticed that there were an even amount of girls and guys here sooooooo, were gonna do chicken fights!”

 

“Yeah!” TenTen and Temari yelled in unison as they all made their way back to the shallow water. When you had reached a depth that you could touch the ground, you felt someone swim up behind you and in no time Kiba had popped out of the water and had balanced you on his shoulders.

 

“Kiba!” You said and laughed.

 

“I call (Y/N)!” He yelled happily which made you laugh even more.

 

“Hinata’s mine!!” Naruto yelled and placed Hinata on his shoulders. Even though they were dating she still became red in the face from embarrassment.

 

“I get Ino, obviously,” Shikamaru said lazily, not bothering to help his girlfriend onto his shoulders, not that Ino needed help anyways. Sakura paired with Lee, Temari with Shino and TenTen with Chouji.

 

“First up is (Y/N) and Kiba against me and Hinata!” Naruto yelled happily. He really did do a lot of yelling.

 

“Okay (Y/N)! You got this!” Kiba encouraged you gripping your legs tighter.

 

“We’re gonna beat you Kiba!” Naruto said, voice cocky.

 

“Ready, set, go!” Shikamaru said. Kiba took off towards Naruto and Hinata so fast that you almost fell off.

 

“We haven’t even reached them yet!” Kiba laughed as you re-adjusted your position. Naruto was running straight towards you when Kiba dodged out of the way. You took your chance and shoved Hinata’s back hoping that she would fall forward and lose her balance. Before you could even touch her, she shouted to Naruto to move to the left and out of your reach. When they turned to face you, Hinata’s veins were bulging around her eyes.

 

“No fair!!” You complained. “I don’t have any Shinobi powers so you should be able to use yours!”

 

“She’s got a point you know.” You heard Shino say.

 

“Fine,” Shikamaru said acting as the referee, “When facing (Y/N) and Kiba, you’re not allowed to use anything other than physical power to take them down.”

 

“Physical power you say? Well take this!” Naruto shouted running towards you and Kiba who wasn’t able to get away in time. Naruto slammed into Kiba and Hinata tried to push you off balance but you pushed harder. When it came to brute force you were clearly stronger than Hinata. You gave her one good shove making her fall backwards. Naruto tried his best to steady her but failed.

 

“YEAH!” Kiba yelled. You laughed as Hinata surfaced.

 

“Looks like you guys won.” She laughed with a smile.

 

“Good job (Y/N)!” Naruto said picking Hinata back up onto his shoulders.

 

“Okay, next is Shino and Temari against Chouji and TenTen!” Kiba moved the two of you out of the way and to the sidelines so the game could start. You gently rested your hands on Kiba’s head and cheered both teams on. Temari and TenTen were a good match, they both had equal power so it took a while before anyone won. Finally the Chouji and TenTen emerged victorious due to Chouji slamming into Shino, making him lose balance and in turn unbalancing Temari causing her to fall.

 

The next groups to go was Ino and Shikamaru against Sakura and Lee.

 

“We will surely win Sakura with the power of youth!” Lee said confidently making Sakura laugh.

 

“Well see about that!” Ino yelled back, fire in her eyes. You had always wondered how Ino and Shikamaru had actually ended up together. She was one of the feistiest girls you knew while Shikamaru was probably the laziest person on the planet. You had to admit, they were pretty cute together. As you watched the competition, you absentmindedly played with Kiba’s hair which made him sigh in content. You laughed quietly at this and kept watching the match. Both Sakura and Ino had fire burning in their eyes so you knew this was gonna be a close one. In the end, it was Shikamaru that caused him and Ino to lose when he was too lazy to get out of the way of Lee and Sakura. “Shikamaru!” Ino yelled as she surfaced, a mysterious spark in her eyes. “You made us lose!” She jumped on him and dunked him under the water making everyone laugh. Shikamaru spluttered to the surface and grabbed Ino.

 

“You’re such a troublesome woman.” He said as he threw her into the water with a smile. So it came down to three teams: you and Kiba, Lee and Sakura, and Chouji and TenTen.

 

“So how are we gonna do this?” Chouji asked. You had been wondering the same thing. There was an odd number of teams left so it wouldn’t be fair to pair up one team and let the winner fight the remaining team.

 

“All three groups are going to face each other at the same time,” Shikamaru said, finally getting Ino back on his shoulders.

 

“A battle to the death!” Kiba yelled dramatically. You laughed as Kiba made his way to where your competitors gathered.

 

“Let’s try our best Sakura!” Lee exclaimed.

 

“If you do the same thing as last time Chouji then were sure to win!” TenTen said and patted his head.

 

“Okay, okay,” Shikamaru said silencing everyone. “Now everyone get into your positions.”

 

“Let’s do this!” You yelled excitedly.

 

“Go!” Shikamaru said and everyone charged. Kiba stopped just before you reached the other two groups and watched as they collided.

 

“Now Kiba!” You cried as Kiba charged forward towards the two unbalanced groups. In one swift move, you pushed both Sakura and TenTen just hard enough to make them fall, but just before they fell into the water something smacked into your back and made you fall off of Kiba and into the water.

 

“They all hit the water at the same time!” You heard Temari yell as you came back up from the water.

 

“What happened?!” You questioned as Kiba came up behind you.

 

“It was Akamaru,” Kiba said and laughed as the dog came up alongside you.

 

“Akamaru! We were so close to winning!” All the dog did was lick your face.

 

“Well, it looks like it was a three-way tie!” Ino said leaning back into Shikamaru who lazily wrapped his arms around her, a smile appearing on his face. For some reason seeing them so happy together made you sad.

 

“Hey, are you okay?” Kiba asked you looking concerned.

 

“Uh, yeah, just seeing everyone here so happy makes me sad that I have to leave so soon.” You lied, but then realized that that might also be another reason why you were sad.

 

“Hey, we’ll all come and visit you whenever we can (Y/N),” Kiba replied pulling you into a hug. “And you can come home every weekend too.” You held onto him tighter and rested your cheek against his bare chest enjoying the heat that radiated from him.

 

“I know, but it’ll just be so different.”

 

“Um, (Y/N),” You heard Naruto say, followed by a low growling from Akamaru, “Your mom’s walking this way. You looked up to see none other than your mother walking down the dock coming closer to you and your friends.

 

“Do you want me to handle this?” Kiba said, his pupils contracting in anger. You placed your hand on his chest.

 

“No Kiba, I’ll handle this.” You sighed as you started wading towards what seemed like impending doom.


	4. Selfishness Clouds Judgement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the fun being ruined, you decided to spend some time alone so you go to your secret spot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys! This chapter kind of ends bad but I guess it doesn't really matter that much since there will be another chapter yet! It just got late so I thought I'd finish it off there! Thanks for reading!! Enjoy!

_What could your mother possibly want from you?_ You thought as you waded out of the water approaching your mom.

 

“(Y/N),” Your mother said quietly, “I’d like to talk to you.”

 

“Well I’m here, what are you waiting for?” You snapped impatiently, annoyed that she was taking up time that you could be spending with the people who actually cared for you.

 

“(Y/N), please consider coming back home.” She pleaded, her eyes filled with sorrow. _Maybe she actually cares about me_.

 

“Why should I?” You inquired. “Dad obviously hates me right now and you didn’t even stand up for me at all during the argument we had.”

 

“(Y/N), I can’t take it. Since you haven’t been home, your father's been redirecting all of his anger to me and I can’t handle it. If you just come home and take over the shop, then it’ll all go away and I won't have to feel this way anymore.” She finished with tears in her eyes. You stood there, too appalled to say anything back right away. Your mother grabbed your hands and pleaded with her eyes. Coming back to your senses you ripped your hands away from her grip.

 

“Do you realize how selfish you sound right now?” You seethed, full of anger. “The only reason you want me back there is to be the scapegoat, so all of dad’s anger can be forced upon me and not you! For the last time, I am NOT coming home and I’m NOT taking over the shop. You know I thought you came here to tell me that you were happy for me for choosing my own path, but no. You came here for yourself because you can’t deal with the anger from the man you married. You got yourself into that situation and I refuse to be your scapegoat anymore. Now leave me alone.” You turned and started walking away.

 

“(Y/N)!” She yelled at you. “I’m your mother! You will do as you’re told!”

 

“I only have one person in my life who’s earned the right to be called my mom, and that sure as hell isn’t you.” You shouted back to her, words seeping with anger and disgust at what she was wanting you to do. “Mrs. Inu is the only person who I’d ever call mom.” With that, you walked away from here and back to your real family who had heard the entire conversation. Looking at Kiba you could tell that he was just about ready to go after your mother and tell her off.

 

“(Y/N),” Sakura said as you reached them. “I’m so sorry.” Both Ino and Sakura came up to you and gave you a tight hug.

 

“Yeah, your mother is such a bitch!” Temari said glaring at the disappearing figure of your mother.

 

“Good for you for telling her off like that,” Shikamaru said giving your shoulder a light squeeze.

 

“Thanks, guys.” You said sighing deeply. “Maybe they’ll leave me alone for good now.”

 

“If they don’t then they’ll have me to deal with.” You heard Kiba snarl.

 

“Yeah, they’ll have to go through all of us!” Naruto piped in looking just as pissed off as Kiba.

 

“I’m just sorry that you guys have to be all caught up in this.” You said sadly. “I feel like I’m being such a nuisance to all of you.” You looked down feeling ashamed.

 

“(Y/N)!” Kiba scolded grabbing your shoulders forcing you to look up at him. “Don’t say that you are NOT a nuisance to any of us! Everyone loves you (Y/N) and would stand up for you no matter what!”

 

“It’s true (Y/N),” TenTen said with a smile.

 

“We will always be here when you need us (Y/N)!” Lee affirmed.

 

“Thank guys.” You spoke quietly, their comforting words not making you feel any better. “Well, I guess this kind of ruined the fun.”

 

“We can still have some more fun,” Naruto said trying to brighten up the mood.

 

“I think I’m just gonna head home now.” You told them, silently praying to the third Hokage that they would let you go.

 

“Me and Akamaru will come with you,” Kiba said getting ready to come after you.

 

“Uh, I kind of wanna be alone right now.” You said biting your lip looking away not wanting to see the dismay blooming on Kiba’s face.

 

“O-oh okay,” Kiba said in disappointment. “I guess I’ll see you later.” Without answering him you turned and waded out of the water. You felt bad for disappointing Kiba but you really needed some time away from even him to sort out your thoughts.

 

Instead of going home like you said you would, you made your way out of Konoha, walking through the quiet forest. You hated the amount of trouble you were causing for the people around you. Sure, they may say that it was okay, that you weren’t a nuisance but you knew you were. Your footsteps were silent as you neared at your secret spot. Usually, at times like these you would go to the glade that Kiba knew about, but this time you really wanted to be alone so you opted to go to your spot that no one knew about, not even Kiba.

 

Before you found your secret spot, you thought that the glade was the most beautiful place that you had ever seen. It was a small clearing in the middle of the forest, but in the middle of the open space was a huge tree. The grass was spotted with flowers of every color: pink, purple, blue, white, every color you could imagine. With the flowers came the many different types of butterflies and bumblebees that would fly around looking for the best flowers to get their nectar from. But this place was even better than the glade. It was a lot farther and harder to get to than the glade but it was completely worth it. To get there you had to follow a small stream, but unlike most people you didn’t follow it along the bank, but rather you would follow on the rocks that were jutting out of the stream. You did this because it was the only way to get where you were going as the walking terrain was much too dangerous for someone without any ninja training to navigate. You slipped off your shoes and lightly stepped on the rock closest to you to test how slippery it was. Each rock was coated with a soft layer of deep green moss so you were careful not to slip and fall. You leaped from rock to rock, watching as the stream dug deeper and deeper into the ground, the banks around you growing steeper and rockier as you made your way uphill. Looking at the steep banks, you could see the roots of the trees that grew close to the edge. It looked as if the dirt banks had veins running through them, making it seem like it was alive. The stream flowed faster now, the water sparkling whenever the sun cut through the thick canopy of leaves from the trees above you. You stopped for a moment and closed your eyes. The sounds of birds singing, leaves rustling in the breeze, and flowing water filled your senses making you completely forget about your parents. But the thing you were actually listening for was the sound of heavily flowing water; That would mean that you were close to your destination. Straining, you faintly heard the delightful sound of roaring water. You were almost there. Quickening your pace, you reached the source of the sound. A few feet above you was a small waterfall that was cascading down a steep slope. You wouldn’t have been able to get up there if it hadn’t been for the fallen tree trunk that was propped up nicely against the side of the slope. Like the many times before, you shimmied up the long trunk until you could climb over the edge. You smiled as you took in the amazing view. The tree you had just climbed led to a small plateau that had eroded into a small pound from the massive waterfall that was pouring over the side of a large precipice.

 

You walked along the shore of the pond approaching the huge waterfall, enjoying the feel of the mist on your face. When you reached the waterfall, you pressed your back against the wall of dirt and slowly made your way behind the waterfall and into the cave that was hidden behind it. The cave had a tunnel that gently sloped upwards. As you got closer to your secret spot, the hard stone floor gradually turned to dirt with small patches of fauna until it finally turned to thick soft grass. You reached your spot and laid down in the emerald green grass. The cave you were now laying in was quite small but was very cozy. The grass was able to grow because of the large hole that was on the roof of the cave. You laid on the cool ground, waiting for the sun to go down and darkness to fall, waiting for the best part to happen.

 

Once the sun went down, sparkling lights began to appear on the roof of the cave. One by one, tiny glow worms lit up the small cave, adding to the moonlight that had illuminated the cave. Many nights you would come here to gaze at the glow worms in appreciation, wondering how they could do that and envying the amazing gift that was given to them. You would most likely spend the night in the cave seeing as it was much too dark to navigate the stream at night.

 

You thought back to the afternoon and how you had told Kiba that you wanted to be alone and felt guilty. Not only because you left him there, but because you lied about where you were going. He would be looking for you now since you weren’t at home. First, he would go to the glade, them to Sakura’s, then Ino’s. He would be so worried about you when he realized that he didn’t know where you were. Maybe he would even get his family to come out looking for you. The thought of that made you realize that what you did was stupid and that you were living up to your reputation as a nuisance, but as much as you wanted to, you couldn’t risk going back now. Your eyes welled up with tears as a warm breeze blew across your face. You always caused so much trouble. The tears fell from your eyes as you cried for the first time since your argument with your dad. You pulled your knees to your chest and sobbed loudly causing the glow worms to stop glowing. Seeing this made you cry harder and sob even louder. You curled up tighter as you thought about your parents not caring about you, the two people who were supposed to care the most. You thought of all the times your father had insulted you, had put you down, and all the times your mother remained quiet not bothering to say a word to your father about how much he was hurting you. You thought about Kiba and his family, how good they were treating you even though you didn’t deserve it, how they were paying for your entire tuition, your living expenses and your housing costs. You thought about how long you would be gone to university, how you would miss your friends and your new family, how long you would be away from Kiba.

 

“(Y/N)?!” You heard someone yell. It was Kiba. “(Y/N)! Where are you?! Are you hurt!” You could hear the desperation in his voice but didn’t respond and tried to stifle your sobs. You didn’t want him to see you like this. You heard barking and knew that in no time Akamaru would find you. “She’s in here Akamaru?” You heard Kiba ask, his voice echoing around the cave. You sobbed again not being able to hold it in. “(Y/N)!” Kiba yelled getting closer. You sat up and scooted against the cold cave wall willing them not to find you. You tried to steady your breathing but another sob came out. You heard soft footsteps and knew Akamaru had found you. He came and laid down in front of you and whined loudly. “(Y/N)!” Kiba breathed in relief as he found you. He knelt down in front of you and asked, “(Y/N), what’s wrong?” Hearing the genuine concern in his voice made you cry even harder. “Hey, it’s gonna be okay.” Kiba soothed and sat beside you putting an arm around your shoulder trying to pull you close to him. You resisted. You didn’t want him to see you like this so you turned away from him, biting your lip to contain a sob. Bring stronger than you, Kiba managed to pull you into his chest but you still couldn’t look at him. Your body shook with the effort of holding in your sobs. “It’s okay (Y/N), let it all out,” Kiba whispered, his grip on you tightening. You gave in and wrapped your arms around his torso.

 

“I-I,” You tried to speak but Kiba hushed you.

 

“Shhh, you don’t have to tell me anything (Y/N).” You took that as your invitation to cry your heart out.


	5. Helping Around the Clinic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kiba takes you home and the next day you get to help out at the clinic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys! So I just thought this needed to be addressed. if you've read the comments at the end of chapter four you've probably seen the terrible comment that someone left and my reply. I just want to say please don't comment stuff like that on people's works. You may not like the story, but you don't know what the authors going through and something as small as a hurtful comment can set them over the edge. Constructive criticism is always welcomed but please refrain from commenting stuff like that! Also just a heads up, there's a part about a dog dying if you don't like reading that kind of stuff. I put it in there because I've actually been in that situation as I've worked at a vet clinic before! Have fun reading!

After ten minutes of straight crying, you calmed down and dried your eyes. Kiba had been quiet the entire time, rubbing your back in comfort.

 

“Do you wanna talk about it?” Kiba asked gently.

 

“Everything finally caught up to be I guess.” You whispered. “All the shit with my parents, realizing that I’ll be so far away from all my friends and family,” You paused considering your next words, “From you.” You bit your lip, worried about how he would react.

 

“You know that they’ll all try and visit you (Y/N).” He replied. “As for me, we’re best friends, of course I’ll come and visit you as much as possible.” You internally cringed at the word friends. Was that all he wanted to be?

 

“I just feel like I’ve been such a bother to you and your family.” You confessed.

 

“(Y/N), my family is your family now.” He plainly stated. “My mother loves you just as much as she loves me and Hana, and sometimes I think Hana loves you more than me.” He joked, causing a smile to appear on your face.

 

“There’s the girl I know!” He smiled and hugged you tighter. “Now there is something I need to ask you about.” He added with mock seriousness. “How come you’ve never told me about this place?!”

 

“Well, I was going to eventually, I just didn’t want your dog smell all over it.” You quipped with a laugh.

 

“Hey!” He gawked in mock horror.

 

“But you haven’t even seen the coolest part! Come with me.” You commanded and dragged him into the middle of the cave. You pulled him down with you and laid on the soft grass floor using Akamaru as a pillow.

 

“I already knew there was a hole in the roof (Y/N),” Kiba stated, looking puzzled.

 

“If you would be quiet you would be able to see what I’m talking about!” You complained.

 

“Okay okay!” He said quietly. After a few minutes of silence the first few glow worms started to sparkle. “Woah!” Kiba gasped in amazement making the glow worms light to go out. You gave Kiba a smack. “Sorry.” He apologized sheepishly going silent once again.

 

For hours, you laid there with Kiba and Akamaru watching the stars, the moon and the glow worms. You were pleased about how amazed Kiba was with the glow worms and wished you would’ve told him about this place earlier. At least he would’ve known were you were right off the bat.

 

“Hey,” You whispered realizing that everyone else still didn’t know where you were.

 

“Now look who’s being loud!” Kiba whispered back watching as one by one the glow worms disappeared.

 

“Aren’t the others going to be worried about us?” You asked.

 

“Oh shit!” Kiba cursed. “I completely forgot about them!”

 

“Well, we can’t really go back seeing as it’s so dark outside. We’d probably fall and break our necks.” You stated blatantly.

 

“(Y/N), I’m a ninja remember?” Kiba replied with a laugh.

 

“Yeah well, I’m not.” You informed.

 

“Well, I obviously knew that.” He answered, “You can ride on my back.”

 

“You're going to give me a piggyback all the way back, through a stream, over rocks in the pitch black?” You stated quizzically.

 

“What?!” He questioned. “You don’t trust me?”

 

“Of course, I trust you,” You soothed, “Just not your ego.” With that Kiba hoisted you up over his shoulder and started to walk towards the exit. “Kiba!” You cried, “If you carry me this way I’ll surely die!” 

 

“Well then trust my ego and get on my back properly!” He ordered and you decided it would be for the best to follow his instructions.

 

“Fine fine,” You grumbled, “But if I die it’s your fault.”

 

“Don’t worry (Y/N), I would give my life to keep you safe.” He answered as he exited the cave. You wrapped your arms tightly around his neck and hoped for the best.

 

Kiba took off so quickly you thought that you were going to fall off.

 

“Falling off already?” Kiba laughed running even faster.

 

“Slow down!” You yelled wrapping your arms around Kiba even tighter than before making sure to close your eyes. You could feel the rippling of Kiba’s muscles under you as he leapt from rock to rock, his body radiating heat. Thinking of this made your mind wander back to the afternoon when he was shirtless. Cheeks on fire, you opened your eyes trying to forget about it. Looking around, you saw that Kiba had already made it over halfway down the stream. The cold breeze helped to cool down your blushing cheeks as you silently thanked the Hokage that Kiba couldn’t see your face.

 

“Kiba,” You began,

 

“Yeah (Y/N)?”

 

“Thank you. You’ve always been there for me, when my parents refused to enroll me at the academy and now with the whole university thing. So, thank you.” You finished.

 

“(Y/N), I’d do anything for you.” Kiba said happily making it to the stream bank. “Now, do you wanna walk from here?” He asked letting go of your legs making you almost slide off his back.

 

“No!” You objected sheepishly resting your cheek against his back. “I’ll stay up here.” Kiba chuckled quietly at your reply and gently hoisted you back onto his back.

 

“Let’s get you back home,” Kiba said and took off running back towards the village.

 

 

“WHERE HAVE YOU TWO BEEN!” Kiba’s mom yelled at you with such malice that even Kunomaru cringed.

 

“I’m sorry mom.” Kiba apologized profusely, “I found (Y/N) a couple hours ago, and we lost track of time.” Just as Kiba’s mom was about to start yelling again you broke in.

 

“Mrs Inu, it was my fault. I should’ve never gone off on my own without telling anyone. I’m really sorry but please don’t punish Kiba. If you’re going to punish someone, let it be me.” Her eyes softened slightly.

 

“(Y/N), your right it was your fault.” She sighed. “But you’ve been going through a lot, so I won't punish any of you. Just make sure you tell someone where you’re going next time (Y/N). We were all so worried about you, especially Kiba when he couldn’t find you at any of your regular places. He looked all over the place for you, you know.” You looked at Kiba to see him looking at the ground with blushing cheeks.

 

“Kiba,” You whispered. “I’m sorry for making you worry so much.” You apologized again feeling bad for making the Shinobi so worried.

 

“So, I have to ask,” Hana came up with a sparkle in her eyes. “What were you two doing to lose track of time?” She smiled devilishly, “Are we going to have to give you to the sex talk?”

 

“I, we,” You stuttered cheeks flushing with colors as your eyes went wide looking at Kiba to see his mouth hanging agape in surprise.

 

“We were just watching the stars!” Kiba protested.

 

“Sure, sure,” Hana laughed, “Two teenagers gone for hours, something obviously happened.” By now you were close to pulling a Hinata and fainting from embarrassment but instead you swiftly made your way to the bedroom you were sharing with none other than Hana. Great.

 

Before she could make her way to your room you rushed to the bathroom to get a hold of yourself and shower. Passing by the mirror you stopped to look at yourself. Your hair was tangled, clothes covered in dirt and tears with bright red cheeks. No wonder why Hana asked if you and Kiba had been getting it on. You sure as hell looked like it. Just thinking of what she said made you blush even more. Stripping off your clothes you hopped in the shower, hoping that it would make your blush go away. Turing the shower on you stepped into the warmth it provided. You sighed and closed your eyes. You should really tell him how you felt, it would make things a lot easier. But how would you tell him? There was no way in hell you could do it straight to his face so you would have to think of a different way, and it had to be before you left for university. Getting out of the shower you had the perfect person to help you: Hana.

 

Making your way to your shared room, you stopped at Kiba’s room, the door ajar. He had most likely fallen asleep as soon as he had hit the bed. You smiled gently as you crept into his room. Knowing how heavily he slept, you pulled the covers over his exposed body, careful not to disturb Akamaru who was sleeping at the end of the bed. Bending down you placed a gentle kiss on his forehead. Half asleep, Kiba grabbed onto your arm.

 

“(Y/N),” He mumbled in his sleep. Smiling you sat down on the edge of the bed letting Kiba hold onto your arm. After a while his grip loosened and you were able to quietly slip out of his room. Gently closing the door behind you, you turned and ran into Hana. “Uh, it’s not what it looks like!” You stumbled feeling just as embarrassed as before.

 

“Come on, it’s late.” She replied gently with a caring smile, “Let’s get back to our room.” Once you made it back to your room, you quickly got into bed hoping that Hana wouldn’t say anything else. “I know you like my little brother (Y/N).” Biting your lip, you said nothing. “And frankly,” She paused, “I wouldn’t approve of anyone other than you to be with him.”

 

“Really?” You questioned turning to face her.

 

“Yeah of course!” She enthused. “(Y/N), you are the perfect match for Kiba.”

 

“Yeah well I have no clue if he shares my feeling and I don’t want to ruin our friendship.” You admitted to her. “Do you know if he likes me?” You asked, desperately looking for a good reason to confess your feelings.

 

“(Y/N), I can’t tell you that.” Hana said gently. “You have to figure that out on your own. You could just ask him. Even if he didn’t like you back, I’m sure he’ll still be your friend.” She yawned. “Sleep on it, you have another three weeks to decide what to do.”

 

“Okay, thanks, Hana,” You said.

 

“Goodnight (Y/N).”

 

“Night.”

 

 

It was well past noon when you woke up. You looked over to see that Hana’s bed was vacant. Sighing, you got dressed and headed to the clinic to see if she needed any help. As you walked through the doors, you were greeted with the smell of bleach.

 

“Hey (Y/N),” Hana greeted, her gloved hands scrubbing a large blood pool. “You came to help?”

 

“Yeah what happened?” You asked throwing on a pair of gloves to help scrub.

 

“Well, this morning one of the ninja teams came home and one of their ninja hounds had been injured pretty badly.” She said. “His left leg was pretty much torn off his body along with some kunai wounds. We had to amputate the leg and clean and sew up the cuts but he made it. He’ll never be a ninja dog again, but will make a good companion.”

 

“The poor guy.” You said sadly. “How did his ninja take it?” You asked knowing that a lot of the times ninja with ninken are really attached to them, the ninken being exactly like a family member to them.

 

“He was pretty sad at first, but now his ninken is going to be used to guard and be companions to his children.” Hana finished.

 

“Well, at least they took it well.” You said scrubbing the floor harder. “So, do you have anything else scheduled today?” You asked changing the subject.

 

“Yeah, I have a spay sometime this afternoon if you want to help,” Hana said.

 

“I’d love to!” You beamed.

 

“If you want, I can finish cleaning up this mess and you can prep the surgery room.” She offered. You accepted and headed to the surgery room. By now, prepping the room was second nature to you. First, you made sure that the surgery table was clean and then set up the heating pad as the animal needed to be kept warm during the surgery. You put a thin blanket over the heating pad to make sure the animal wasn’t directly on the heat. Then you pulled out the monitor and made sure that all the clips were in place and ready to be attached as soon as the animal was ready. The monitor was able to show the heart rate, blood pressure and temperature of the animal it was hooked to. Finally, you gathered all the tools that were needed for a spay which included sterile gloves and gowns for both you and Hana, a mask and cap for Hana, and finally the spay pack, scalpel blade, and suture. Inside the spay pack was all the tools Hana needed to perform the surgery. After setting up the surgery room, readied the anesthetic and the IV drip, making sure it would be ready to use after you weighed the animal.

 

“Wow (Y/N),” Hana said looking impressed. “You're getting so much faster at this!”

 

“Thanks!” You replied with a smile and heard the front door open. “I think they’re here!” You observed.

 

“Do you want to get the weight?” Hana asked pretty much giving you the reigns.

 

“Sure!” You accepted the offer and headed to the front.

 

Arriving at the front you greeted the client. “Hello! This is Kona?” You asked getting her file.

 

“Sure is!” The client replied.

 

“So, you can have a seat up here and we’ll come and talk to you after we’ve finished. It shouldn’t take too long!” You told him and took the pup. Bringing her to the scale, you took a weight and made your way to the back of the clinic.

 

“Good job (Y/N)!” Hana praised as you entered the room with the dog and lifted her onto the table. “Do you want to give the shot?” Hana asked. “You don’t have to if you’re not comfortable with it.”

 

“No, it’s okay, I can do it.” You took the syringe from Hana and held off the pup’s vein. You got it first try.

 

“Wow! First try!” Hana applauded happily. “At this rate, you won't even need to go to vet school.” In not time, Kona was fast asleep and ready to be IVed and intubated. You first put in the IV line and got the drip going steady, then you intubated and masked her down with the anesthetic gas. Hana let you shave her fur where the incision was going to be made while Hana trimmed her nails.

 

“So, have you thought about asking Kiba if he likes you?” She asked you as you finished shaving the dog.

 

“I don’t know, maybe I will yet.” You replied as you started to disinfect the pup’s shaved belly.

 

“Remember, you only have three weeks.” Hana reminded as you finished cleaning the incision area. “Okay let’s bring her to the surgery room.” She said and you nodded. Once in the surgery room, you placed the dog on the table and helped Hana with her gown and then put on your own. Right away Hana started the surgery and in no time she was done. “Okay, so you monitor the pup while I go and talk to the owner.” Hana commanded and left you. You cleaned around the closed incision and made sure that Kona’s vitals were good. You unhooked her from the gas and laid her in a bed on the floor sitting down beside her. Now you had to wait till she swallowed to take out the tube from her throat which happened in no time. Leaving her to sleep, you gathered the medicine that would be sent home with the owner.

 

“Hey, the owner brought a wagon to take her home in and seems like a decent guy so we’ll send Kona back right away,” Hana said taking the IV out of the pup.

 

“Okay, well I’ll start cleaning up then.” You replied and started cleaning.

 

In half an hour you had finished cleaning and went to find Hana. When you reached the front, someone had burst in the front doors, holding a small bundle of fur.

 

“I need help!” He shouted in desperation.

 

“What happened?” You asked calmly.

 

“I was walking when I found this puppy on the side of the road. It wasn’t moving so I checked if it was, you know, dead, but then the poor thing wailed so loud when I touched it. You need to help the poor thing!” He finished with tears in his eyes.

 

“Okay follow me.” You ordered and led him to the x-ray machine. Where was Hana? You instructed him to put the pup on the table. “Now, I need you to go and get Hana. She should probably be at her house. Go as fast as you can.” The man nodded and followed your directions. You decided that you didn’t have time to wait for her and proceeded to take x-rays. “Hey sweetie.” You cooed at the puppy gently. “Now I know this is going to hurt, but we need to see what’s wrong with you.” You tried your best to gently stretch the pup across the table so you could get a decent x-ray but the pup cried out in pain. “I know honey.” You whispered in it’s ear quickly taking the x-ray. You looked at the screen to see that there were multiple fractures in different bones. This wasn’t good. Even if Hana could fix the pup, he would most likely suffer from arthritis at an early age.

 

“(Y/N)!” You heard Hana call.

 

“I’m over here!” You replied as she ran into the room. Kiba had also come with her thinking that maybe they needed more help. “I took x-rays and it’s not looking good.”

 

“Holy shit,” Hana said under her breath. “This isn’t good at all.”

 

“What’s happening?” Kiba asked confused.

 

“There are so many fractures in the bones were going to have to put him down,” Hana said sadly.

 

“Put him down?!” Kiba exclaimed. “You’re a vet! You should be able to help him!”

 

“Kiba,” You soothed, “Even if we could re-set all the fractured bones and heal them, he would have so many other health problems because of it which would make his quality of life terrible. Sometimes we have to make decisions that are hard and this is one of them.” Hana quickly got the drugs to put him down and you sat down with the pup in your lap.

 

“Are you ready?” Hana asked and you nodded.

 

“It’s all going to be over soon sweetie.” You whispered into the pup’s fur and stroked him gently as Hana injected the drugs. You sat there petting the pup as the life left him as Kiba stared at you and the pup. You gently placed your fingers by the puppy’s heart and felt for a beat. Nothing. You gently kissed the pup’s head and laid him down on the floor.

 

“I can deal with this (Y/N). I think you should take Kiba away from here.” You nodded and gently led Kiba out of the clinic to where Akamaru was waiting. You didn’t realize that this was the first time he had seen an animal be put down. You sat him down on the steps in front of the clinic waiting for him to say something.

 

“He was just a puppy,” Kiba whispered.

 

“I know.” You consoled and squeezed his hand. Kiba turned to look at you.

 

“How can you do it? How can you work here and not go home sad?” He asked.

 

“It’s because even though things like this happened, Hana and I do a lot of good. I can come home smiling because I know that I’ve tried my hardest to help all the animals that I could.” You finished.

 

“You know, you’re really amazing (Y/N),” Kiba said making you blush.

 

“Thanks, Kiba.” You replied as Kiba got up and offered you his hand. You took it and he helped you up.

 

“Oh yeah, the reason why I came was to tell you that I have to go out on a mission for a while. The Hokage said that it shouldn’t take more than a week.” He explained. “I know it’s a long time and that you’re leaving soon but I couldn’t get out of it. I’m sorry.”

 

“Don’t apologize!” You scolded. “Missions are important and a week isn’t that long. I’m sure I can find other things to do while you’re gone. I do have other friends you know.” You joked.

 

“What?” Kiba exclaimed going along with the joke, “When did this happen?” You laughed and punched him in the shoulder.

 

“Hey, that hurt!” Kiba whined rubbing his shoulder in mock pain. “But I’m actually leaving pretty soon.”

 

“Well I should probably stay here and help Hana some more, but I guess I’ll see you in a week!” You said giving him a quick hug. Just as you were about to pull away he pulled you in closer holding you tighter.

 

“Kiba?” You questioned as he still didn’t let go. This was weird, he never acted like this before a mission. Usually, he was cocky, talking about how easy it was going to be. “What’s going on?”

 

“Oh, uh, nothing.” He mumbled into your hair. “I just needed a hug after what I saw.” He pulled away.

 

“Okay.” You said still not convinced, but you wouldn’t push it.

 

“I should get going,” Kiba informed not sounding like himself.

 

“Well I’ll see you in a week.” You said in farewell as he and Akamaru disappeared into the village. _That was weird,_ you thought as you headed back inside the clinic. Well at least with Kiba gone, you could take to Ino and Sakura about how you would tell Kiba that you liked him. This would be one long week.


End file.
